Reviews of LSU Rural Life Museum (Museum)

Joshua Saunders

This museum focuses on Louisiana in the antebellum years. Indoors there is an extensive exhibit on slavery and how laws called Code Noir affected people in bondage before 1803. Adjacent to this area was an even larger space where everything from irons to horse-drawn carriages (minus the horses) were on display. Outside was even more interesting: Dog-trot, shotgun, Acadian, overseers houses; cabins; a post office; a school room; "hospital", are just some of the representations found there. Check out the statue of Uncle Jack. Very informative!

G Perkins

It is a living history museum. Tells some of the happy and sad history of Louisiana. Bring your walking shoes, great way to stretch your legs and learn.

Nick Bogan

Cool place to visit and fantastic location for Zapp's Beer Festival

Watheq Al-Mudhafar

Very nice place to visit in Baton Rouge with awesome rural life museum!

Terrell St.Cyr

The LSU Rural Life Museum offers you the real life experience of the 1800's racial equality. It definitely was an eye opening tour of what people endured also the history of how people lived it's a must see if ever in Baton Rouge.

James Myers

Great place fantastic atmosphere

Justine Carter

Good place to visit and bring the kids.

Ray Henderson

Extensive collection of artifacts of the plantation era period and historical exhibits.

Trudy Billiot

Went there because my son was an extra in a movie and while he was doing that I decided to go through the museum. It was awesome.

Honest Reviewer

Very well maintained and informative.

Jayy Dee

What a perfect way to pass a cold and drizzly day! This was AWESOME. I loved seeing the interiors of the slave houses and other building types that they had on location. Most of the quotations they had on the exhibits were from 12 Years as a Slave that I highly suggest you read. This location was a bit of a drive down a winding road that ran parallel to I-10 but while on the grounds, you never would have thought I-10 was just beyond the tree line. This museum had slave sale records, many wagons and what they all were used for and gorgeous grass ways to walk about and check out the interiors of what once housed Salves, Masters, Drivers and many others. There is also a very small cemetery that dated back to 1860-1980s time so I would be interested to learn about that.

Reggie Barrington

Sun of David and all are equal we all took part

David Webster

This is an amazing place to visit! A lot to explore, actual historical buildings either moved to the site or replicated. Laid out something akin to a small town. Audio tours available, gift shop, and lots of other things to see on the complex like a nature trail, gardens, etc. This isn't a Louisiana treasure, it's a national treasure.

Don Martin

Exiting

Joshua Fleig

A hidden gem in BR. The grounds beautiful and they have year round activities for the kids.

Rhonda Robertson

Best Kept Secret in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about 2 blocks from Our Lady of the Lake Emergency Room. You need to experience this!

Katie Grimes

So gorgeous here. If you don't want to pay to get into the museum/garden it's worth just a drive through the area. Gorgeous trees and flowers coming to life everywhere, stunning working gardens, including a kids garden, wildflowers and gotta love the long-horned cows! We loved the museum and walking through the plantation. Excellent morning. I wish r could have spent more time here!

Randall G

I've been here several times; they have events year round such as Christmas, Fall Harvest and even Civil War Re-enactments. A large museum, many buildings including several slave houses and old Cajun houses. Fantastic for anyone who enjoys history and culture.

Matt Tumey

This is a hidden gem in the middle of Baton Rouge.

Jeff Broussard

Awesome experience!

Lana B

Beautiful place, never knew it was back there until today. Brusly Elementary Prek field trip to Corn Maze and few other schools from EBR went today - had some sort of event for the kids out at the Burden Center. Hay rides, games, corn maze & haybale mountain. We had a blast and the weather was perfect for it!

Gary Katzenmaier

A lot of great interesting historical artifacts but not well interpreted

D. Taylor

Best place to visit between Baton Rouge and Vicksburg, MS! Don't miss the museum.

Kit Ligand

Remarkable local museum. This was the first museum or recreator site to specifically address the experience of enslaved persons from a human, individual perspective. The museum building presents a good, traditional museum display, then the next section offers buggies and other historical transportation devices covering birth (baby buggies) to earth in the form of several hearses. Keep an eye out for drawings on the walls from museum founder Steele Burden and for the type of ornaments left by people who cherished those objects. The you transition outdoors for an excellent selection of the cabins and other buildings that were the daily housing of lives in 19th century southern rural life. Pay special attention to the little church. It is likely that the builder was a self-educated enslaved person who figured out the intricate roof by experimentation or from drawings. The whole museum is wheelchair accessible though you need some maneuvering in a few spots. Be sure to spray down with mosquito repellent beforehand or you will be donating to the local skeeters. There is a fee which is reasonable and supports the museum historical research and conservation. And if it looks familiar when you visit, you probably saw the Rural Life Museum in the background of a movie or tv show. Definitely worth your time during any visit to the region.

PH Ellis

Wonderful exprance.

John Washington

Wow. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. So much to see, so much history.

Klein Alain

(Translated by Google) It is a museum taking cat shows the violence made black in Louisiana. But not only. You will see the evolution of the habitat and habits. Hard enough to find when you enter the museum park, go to the bottom is the checkout and departure of the domestic visit 9 dollars seniors. (Original) C'est un musée prenant cat il fait apparaitre les violences faites aux noirs en Louisiane. Mais pas que. Vous verez l'évolution de l'habitat et des habitudes. Assez dur a trouver quand vous entrez dans le parc du musée, allez jusqu'au fond c'est la caisse et le depart de la visite interieure 9 dollars les seniors.

Rob Peters

Great Oasis in baton rouge

NameLikeNobodyElse .

Definitely a place you can spend a good bit of time with so many historical things to see. Spent three hours here & that was just skimming over most things. Things have been greatly organized and labeled since my last visit in the late '70s. So much has been donated that everyone is bound to find an interest - old farming equipment, kitchen tools, blacksmithing, old country store, medical instruments, mourning hair jewelry, etc.

Lincoln Tomkin

Person at the Backpacker recommended this park for trail running. It's very nice. The museum is quaint, but informative. Planning to attend an event here soon.

Emma Sanchez

This museum nestled in a beautiful setting in Baton Rouge, surrounded by gardens, trees, and flowers, is full of great exhibits and open air buildings. While the museum is called Burden Museum, there isn't much there about the family's history, which was a little disappointing, since that was our main reason for visiting. However, the displays and buildings are top-notch, and highly recommended. Their gift shop has the lowest-priced Mardi Gras masks we found, although selection is limited.

Oren Azrad

Amazing. The amount of artifacts and cultural diversity. Well done LSU. Highly recommended.

Abby Gabby

Staff is not very well informed about events happening at there own location. Called and made reservations for event and was not notified about a upcoming event being held on the same day and time. Very inconvenient

Meagan Blackwell

Really interesting museum! A real hidden treasure in Baton Rouge!

Ledoncie Seals

Who would have thought such a great place like this could be hiding in baton rouge. It was wonderful. So much to see!

Laura Dickens

Wonderful place to visit! The kids and I both love it. It's fun and very educational. I love their special events, all of which have informational available on the website. Definitely worth the trip!

loic bergeon

(Translated by Google) Maybe my favorite museum in Louisiana! Really very authentic! (Original) Peut-être mon musée préféré en Louisiane ! Vraiment très authentique !

Lesley Hynes

We loved this place! So much to see.

Boyd Crochet

Very under utilized asset in the heart of South Baton Rouge.

Michael Bice

Went 6.1.19 The place is amazing and I have been there many times, however this time it was very unlept..very disappointed. Over frown grown grass on everything outside, dust on every cabinet. Never seen it like this??

Joshua Astle

It was very enjoyable, interesting and had an impact on my kids. It was woth it.

Brandi R

Wow! Amazing self tour of the properties and exhibits. Highly recommend. Bring water and mosquito spray just in case you are prone to mosquito bites.

Stephanie Turner

An amazing collection! The whole family enjoyed our visit.

Amber Z.

Very interesting displays and lots of info!

Lee J.

Enjoy absolutely everything about this place!!!

Trudy Manshack

Loved this place

Diana Duangnet

This is a interesting museum. The most fascinating portion of the museum is seeing the historic carriages, coffins, and wheelchairs in the back of the museum.

Jonathan Horton

A neat place to visit with your family.

Roger Lockridge

We happened upon this amazing museum on a recent trip to Baton Rouge. If you are in this area this is a must see place. Many old style buildings and they seem to be true to the time period depicted by the buildings and grounds. I placed four photos on this site. One of the exterior of the Black Smith Shop, and the Hardware store, as well as an interior shot of the Hardware store, and another of a typical home of the era.